


Let Me Help

by Mangoesaregood8



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Camping, Comfort No Hurt, Cooking, Fluff, Gladnis Week, M/M, One Shot, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 12:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15773910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangoesaregood8/pseuds/Mangoesaregood8
Summary: Gladio's stubbornness knows no ends when he refuses to admit that he's under the weather. Ignis isn't fooled though. Gladio's protests fall on deaf ears as Ignis makes him slow down and take a break.





	Let Me Help

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't been feeling too well myself, so I had a lot of inspiration for this fic. I know it's a little late for Gladnis week but I couldn't resist writing this when I saw the prompt. I hope you enjoy~

“Achoo!” Gladio sniffed and wiped at his nose for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. He was out collecting firewood with Ignis so that the latter could start cooking breakfast.

“Gladiolus, that is the sixth time you’ve sneezed in the past half hour,” Ignis said from a few feet away.

“Didn’t know you were keeping count.”

“If you’re not feeling well, then you should go back to the tent to rest. We have more than enough fuel for to get the fire started again. And if we need more, I’m perfectly capable of getting it myself,” Ignis said.

“I’m fine,” Gladio said as he adjusted the sticks and branches under his arm to wipe at his nose again. He was the complete opposite of fine, not that he would have ever admitted it. His throat was dry and scratchy, and had been since he woke up. He had been drinking as much water as he could without drawing unwanted attention to himself, but it didn’t help. His nose was clogged, leaving him only able to breathe out of one nostril. All of that congestion was creating pressure, causing his face and the rest of his head to throb incessantly. And as Ignis had pointed out, Gladio had been sneezing more than usual. He tried to play it off, attributing it to the chill in the air, but he could tell from Ignis’s expression that the tactician wasn’t buying it.

“You don’t sound fine.” Ignis sighed and readjusted his glasses. “Let’s get back to camp. I’m sure Prompto and Noct will be waking up soon.”

Gladio followed Ignis back to their campsite, purposefully lagging behind in hopes that Ignis wouldn’t hear all of his sniffling. He dropped his armful of wood by the dying fire before laying some kindling on the smoldering embers. Once the flames grew steady, Gladio stacked some of the bigger sticks on top of the fire.

Ignis busied himself with preparing breakfast. He started up the grill and rummaged through the cooler for some eggs, but he paused as he picked up the carton. Perhaps soup was more suitable this morning. Ignis glanced up at Gladio. Yes, a nice pot of soup was definitely in order. Ignis wasn’t going to let Gladio’s stubbornness prevent him from getting the care he needed. 

It was hard to tell exactly what was wrong with Gladio down playing his symptoms, but Ignis could tell by how close Gladio was sitting by the fire that the larger man was cold. The subtle shaking in Gladio’s shoulders as he tried to suppress his shivers confirmed Ignis’s suspicions. Chills usually meant fever. That combined with Gladio’s sneezes meant the man was suffering from a bad cold. At least Ignis hoped it was only a bad cold. He had no idea where Gladio could have picked it up, but he hoped that he caught it early enough and that Gladio would cooperate enough that it wouldn’t spread to the rest of them.

Ignis set the eggs down and picked up an onion instead. He chopped it finely and added it to a large pot with a good amount of water to simmer. He added some roughly chopped carrots and bits of celery, making a mental note to prepare something else for Noctis to eat later.

Once the broth started to boil, Ignis spread the coals around beneath the pot to bring it down to a simmer. As much as he wanted the soup to be ready now, he didn’t want to rush it and sacrifice quality.

Ignis kept an eye on Gladio as he cooked, watching as the other man crept closer and closer to the campfire. He made sure the broth was at the correct temperature before ducking into the tent, stepping over Noctis’s and Prompto’s sleeping forms to grab a spare blanket. He carried the blanket over to Gladio and draped it around the larger man’s broad shoulders.

“What’s this for?” Gladio asked as he pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

“You’re shivering,” Ignis said. He sat down next to Gladio, offering what little excess body heat he had.

“Am not.”

“Gladiolus…”

“What?”

“What will it take for you to admit that you’re sick?” Ignis asked.

“For the last time Iggy, I’m not sick!”

“And you really expect me to believe that? Have you seen yourself lately? You look awful.”

“If you haven’t noticed, we don’t exactly have access to a mirror,” Gladio said.

“No, but you have a phone with a camera.” Ignis crossed his arms over his chest and waited. “Go on.”

“Gladio huffed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He turned on the front facing camera and studied the face that stared back at him. “Damn…”

“Well?” Ignis asked.

Gladio hated to admit it, but Ignis was right. He barely recognized the face looking back at him as his own. His face was pale, making the dark circles under his eyes even more prominent. His eyes were glassy and could barely focus on the image in front of him. He cheeks stood out as well, flushed with the fever that was sending uncontrollable shivers down his spine. “I look like shit…” He sighed and shook his head. “Fine, I’m sick. Happy now?”

“I’m not happy that you’re sick, but I’m glad you’ve finally admitted it,” Ignis said. “Now will you let me take care of you?”

Gladio closed his eyes and leaned his head on Ignis’s shoulder. He wasn’t usually one for physical affection, but his rough night’s sleep was catching up with him.

“Bloody hell, you’re burning up!” Ignis exclaimed. He could feel the heat radiating from Gladio’s skin through the material of his shirt.

“I don’t feel like it. I’m freezing.”

Ignis helped Gladio down so that he was lying beside the fire. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He rushed to the tent and returned a moment later with a pillow and an armful of blankets. 

“What’s all that for?” Gladio asked.

“To help keep you comfortable. I don’t want you moving around today. Doctor’s orders.” Ignis slipped the pillow beneath Gladio’s head and wrapped the darker haired man up in the blankets.

Gladio scoffed to cover up a cough. “Since when were you a doctor?”

“Someone needs to know how to take care of you all. It seems the duty of medic has fallen on me,” Ignis said.

“Fair enough.”

“Once you’re feeling better, you can move back to the tent and make yourself more comfortable,” Ignis said. “I want you to rest until that fever breaks. Do you understand?”

“You don’t make this big of a deal with Noct’s sick.”

“True, but Noct would gladly spend most of the day sleeping if we let him.”  
Gladio sighed. “Can I at least have my book? I left it by Prompto’s camera.”

Ignis shook his head. “No. You need rest. Your book will be there waiting for you after you get some sleep. Besides, the soup will be done soon.”

“You really expect me to just lay here and stare at the fire?” Gladio asked.

“There are plenty of other things to look at, but essentially yes.” Ignis stood up and went to check on the soup. When he lifted the lid to the pot, the scents of spices and vegetables rushed over him. He dipped the ladle in to test the broth. It was pleasantly warm and the seasonings mingled together without being overbearing. He wanted it to be simple enough for Gladio’s stomach.

“What’cha making Specs?” Noctis asked as he poked his head out of the tent. “Smells pretty good.”

“A simple soup, though I’m not sure you’d be very fond of it,” Ignis replied. He gave the contents of the pot one final stir before spreading the coals to let them burn out. “It’s full of nice, nutritious vegetables.”

Noctis made a face. “Gross.”

“I could pour you a bowl of broth if that would be any better,” Ignis suggested.

Noctis shook his head. “No thanks. It’s already been tainted.”

“I figured as much.” Ignis pulled out three bowls and filled each one with a heaping scoop of vegetables before adding more broth. “If you give me a few moment,s I’ll have some eggs ready for you.”

“Thanks Iggy.” Noctis disappeared back into the tent.

Ignis grabbed a spoon and brought one of the bowls of soup over to Gladio. “Here you are. Eat up.”

“Thanks." Gladio pushed himself up into a sitting position and cradled the bowl in his hands. The heat radiating from the bowl was soothing to his aching hands. Despite being bundled up next to the fire, he was still freezing. He sipped some broth off of the spoon, enjoying its warmth as it spread through his body. Finally he tried one of the vegetables, a mushroom. It was so tender that it practically melted in his mouth as he savored the dulled earthy flavor.

Ignis kept his eyes trained on Gladio’s face as he ate. “Everything alright? I could fix something else if it’s not to your liking.”

“No, it’s good.” Gladio pushed the vegetables around the bowl. “I’m just not really hungry.” The bowl was starting to feel like a lead weight in his hands as he was overcome with a wave of exhaustion. 

“I’ll save it for later then.” Ignis took the bowl and set it to the side before maneuvering himself so that he was sitting beside Gladio with the larger man’s head in his lap. He gently ran his finger through Gladio’s hair and frowned when he felt how damp it was. “You should get some sleep. You need it.”

Gladio wanted to fight back, but there was nothing left in him. He was struggling enough with keeping his eyes open and focused on Ignis’s face.

“Please Gladiolus, don’t fight it.” Ignis continued playing with Gladio’s hair. It was rare that Ignis had to ask someone twice to do something, let alone beg, but his concern for Gladio’s well-being was winning out over his pride. “Save your strength so you can get better.”

Gladio didn’t want to submit to his body’s need for sleep, but there was nothing left in him to keep fighting. His vision grew hazy and Ignis’s face slowly faded into nothingness as his eyes fluttered shut.

Ignis looked around to make sure there was no one watching before leaning down to kiss the top of Gladio’s head. “I’ll be sure to have your book and a nice cup of tea ready for you when you wake up.”


End file.
